Easy Fall Leaves Lantern Craft

It doesn't get much simpler than this. Use artificial leaves and a recycled mason jar to make a beautiful fall leaves lantern like this for Thanksgiving. Mod Podge the leaves on the jar in this decoupage craft idea. Just add the candle. Follow the link for the full tutorial.

Kids Activities Blog

Easy Japanese Paper Lantern Craft

If your studying about Japanese culture, this Japanese Paper Lantern craft is a great activity to do with your kids and is much easier than it looks.

Materials:

• cardboard
• ruler
• a box cutter or sharp knife
• scissors
• a pencil for marking
• two sets of disposable wooden chopsticks(4 sticks) or small dowel rods
• crayons
• long Japanese Shoji paper, wax paper, or other long strip of white paper
• a tea light or candle

Directions:

Base and top

1. Cut two 6 inch/15 cm squares from cardboard.
2. On one square, measure and cut out a smaller square about 1 /2 inches/4 cm in from the edge for the top hole. The hole should be about 3 1/4 inches or 8 1/2cm.

Paper

1. Cut a long strip of white paper about 6 inches/15 cm wide and 20 inches/50 cm long
2. Roughly mark the paper into 4 1/2 inch/12 cm panels. There will be 4 panels to the lantern. remember to leave a little extra on the ends.
3. Use crayons to draw a design on each panel. Choose whatever theme you wish.

Assembly

1. On the cardboard base and top, mark 4 holes, 1 inch/3cm from each corner. 
2. Use a sharp pencil to start the holes.
3. Break apart the chopsticks. There will be a skinny end and slightly fatter end. 
4. Push the thin end of each chopstick through the base piece al the way till just before the bottom.
5. Push the top piece with the large hole on the top to make the frame. 
6. Wrap the decorated paper around the chopstick frame and glue the ends together.
7. Alternatively, you could wrap and glue the paper first, remove the paper loop, decorate and put it back on. 
8. Put a small candle inside and light your lantern.

You can use the Recycled cooking oil candle idea, too. 

Recycled Cooking Oil Candle Craft

Looking for a way to recycle all that cooking oil after dinner? Here's a simple and resourceful idea to make small candles from waste cooking oil. This is a good activity to do with the Easy Japanese Paper Lantern Craft.

WARNING: Fire Hazard!
This activity must be done under close adult supervision. Don't use candles inside. Do not leave candles burning unattended!

Materials:

• used cooking oil
• old cloth or rag
• container to catch filtered oil
• oil coagulant (optional)
• a paper clip
• thick cotton string or wick
• aluminum muffin tin or used tea light tin

Directions:

1. Use an old cloth or rag to filter impurities from used cooking oil. 
2. Open a paper clip so it sits with end sticking up as shown above.
3. Cut a length of wick or thick cotton cord and insert the open paper clip rod up inside the cord to make your wick stand. 
4. Place the wick stand in an aluminum muffin tin or used tea light tin.
5. Use an oil coagulant if desired. I often find used cooking oil will coagulate by itself.
6. Pour some oil into the tin. 
7. Light your oil candle.

Warning: The oil candle makes black smoke and smells like whatever you were cooking.

Easy Halloween Monster Cup Lantern Craft

This is a great, last minute Halloween decorating idea that just takes a few minutes. All you need are colored plastic cups, a magic marker and a tea light to make these momster lanterns. Follow the link for more details.

The Australian Baby Blog

Easy Halloween Jar Lanterns Craft

Use masking tape and orange paint to make cute little pumpkin lanterns like these for Halloween. Simple and fun to make. Follow the link below for more details.

Spoonful

Easy Halloween Sparkle Lantern Jars

Here's a simple and colorful Halloween craft idea. Use glitter to decorate recycled glass jars into sparkly Halloween lantern jars. Go to the great site below for the full tutorial.

Lovebugs and Postcards

Halloween Glowing Lanterns Craft

Use recycled glass jars and non-toxic glow sticks to make these awesome glowing lanterns for Halloween. Simple to make, you can line them up along the pathway to your door to welcome your Halloween guests. Visit the site below for the full details.

Growing a Jeweled Rose

Halloween Glowing Glitter Jar Lantern Craft

Here's a simple glowing craft idea for Halloween the kids will love. Just break a glow stick and glitter into a jar and shake. The resulting lantern is amazing.

Dump a Day

Halloween Jar Lantern Craft

Decorate a recycled glass jar into a spooky Halloween lantern. Much easier than you think, follow the link for the tutorial.

Jedi Craft Girl

Mother's Day/ Valentine's Day Tin Can Heart Lantern Craft

Here's an easy and resourceful idea. Recycle a tin can into a heart lantern like this for Mother's Day. Follow he link below for more details.



Huffington Post

Mother's Day Jeweled Storage Jars Craft

This is a great Mother's Day craft idea for mothers and daughters to do together. Simple glue gun flattened marble to the outside of recycled jars to create beautifully jeweled storage jars. Keep your special magic spells or treasures inside. Go to the site below for more pictures and other great ideas.

Beca's Crafty Creations

Earth Day Egg Candles Craft

This craft idea is so elegant and simple. Turn eggshells into little votive candles. This is  perfect craft for Earth Day or Easter. This is originally an equinox craft. Combining the symbols of eggs and light really expresses the meaning of spring and new life. Go to the site below for the tutorial.

Yahoo Voices

Decoupage Easter Egg Lights Craft

In this tutorial from Modge Podge Rocks, learn how to use tissue covered eggs into beautiful lights. What a great idea.

Modge Podge Rocks

Valentine's Day Tissue Jar Lantern Craft

I love lantern crafts and this Valentine's Day tissue lantern craft from Here We Are Together is a great idea. Decorate an old mason jar with tissue paper to create a cute Valentine's Day theme design. Follow the link for the full tutorial.

Here we are together

Glass Jar Christmas Lantern Craft

Use double-sided tape, glitter, craft jewels and other things to transform old mason jars and baby food jars into gorgeous Christmas lanterns. These are also great for a gift. Go to Be a Fun Mum for details on this and other craft ideas.

Be a fun Mum

Epsom Salts Frosted Jar Christmas Lanterns

These are so beautiful. Use Epsom salts to transform old mason jars into frosted Christmas lanterns. You might also try to stick on a stencil to make cute Christmas design. Crafts by Amanda has so many great ideas. Go here to find out more on how to make this beautiful Christmas craft.

Crafts by Amanda

Christmas Paper Lanterns Craft for Preschoolers.

These Christmas paper lanterns are another great craft idea from the Preschool Toolbox, perfect for your preschoolers. Simple and fun to make and you can personalize with your students name. Follow the link for this and other great Christmas craft ideas.

The Preschool Toolbox

Christmas Milk Jug Snowman Lantern Craft

Let your creativity and resourcefulness flow with these cute milk jug snowman lantern for Christmas. Some gallon milk jugs, Christmas lights and a few decorations are all you need. These recycled crafts will look great lit up outside or lining the driveway for your Christmas party. Click below for the full details on this fun craft.

stuff by ash

Thanksgiving Corn Cob Bottle Lantern Craft

This Thanksgiving corn cob bottle lantern craft is such a bright idea! Use plastic bottles, tissue paper, and bubble wrap to create these cute original lanterns. Use them to line the driveway to your Thanksgiving party. The picture above was done for a Girl Scout camp. Follow the link for more details on this fun craft. This recycled craft is also great for Earth Day.

artsybe

Plastic Bottle Fish Lantern Craft

This is a really cool looking recycled plastic bottle fish lantern craft I found on a Japanese blog. They used a 2 liter plastic drink bottle. Unfortunately, there is no description of how the craft was made. It looks as if they glued green tissue paper strips all over the bottle. The fins and mouth appear to be other pieces of plastic likewise covered in tissue paper and glued on. The eyes might be painted bottle caps. It's a great idea. You could put a string of Christmas lights inside to make a lantern. It makes you think what other things you could make with the same idea. Follow the link below to see some other pictures including a blue fish. Have fun.

Wagama My Life